Rock River Valley is home to 385 acres of paradisiacal forest, perfect for weekend getaways and family recreation. White Pines Forest State Park offers a serene backdrop for an ideal camping trip, smack dab in the heart of the vast rolling forest and dramatic Illinois bluffs. Featuring modern camp facilities, as well as up-to-date lodging, it’s easy to see why one might consider taking a voyage here. Not only are the amenities plentiful, the local geography is pretty stunning too. Gentle creek beds run against rich earthy banks through the park’s mossy cliffs and dangling vines. During the spring, wildflowers become plentiful, as trout lily, bloodroot, spring beauty, hepatica, and more all blossom into full bloom. 

 One of the most notable features of the park is a concrete ford which spans across the creeks. This enables drivers to pull directly up to the creek bed, and drive through the various streams. There’s even an accessible path leading straight to the bank for those interested in checking out the wildlife or taking advantage of the fishing nearby. 

 It goes without saying that picnicking is extremely popular here. In fact, there are over 100 campsites that feature their own picnic area, as well as various benches and clearings placed strategically throughout the park. 

 Thanks to the variety of campsite options, it’s really easy to find camping here at any time of year. White Pines is unique in that it boasts Class B/S Campsites vehicle access and spacious shower/flush buildings nearby. There are also 3 electric sites, however they are non-reservable. Likewise, group campgrounds cannot be reserved so be sure to wake up early for priority camping!

White Pines Forest State Park Campground

I drove out here from the Chicago area this last nice weather weekend in October 2020. I haven't been here in years, but as every campground in Illinois was booked-up from everyone getting out during the pandemic, I took a chance on the few walk up sites still available according to Reserve Amereica. They were open, but I took a hard pass. I forgot about the "ford" crossing into the campground. It's where the water crosses the road about a foot high. My husband would have been joining me later, and I knew he would not have been happy seeing that on his motorcycle. The few walkup sites still available were in the Sunny Crest loop. I've never seen so many people camping so close together. The sites all had some form of firepit. Some had a table, but many didn't. There were hundreds of people camping on hilly terrain. It looked like a music festival, only without music and lots of families who looked like they had never been outside before so they were set up about 15 feet apart. Even if the campground would have been empty, all of the tent sites are in the open right next to the next one. Winnebago county forest preserve has a few campgrounds nearby that are much more private. This kind of "camping" is not for me.

Great Place to Picnic but there are better places to camp

This wonderful family oriented campground is a hidden gem. Once inside the park you must drive through the river to reach the camping area. There is an emergency road if the water is too high. There are plenty of sites spread out into several loops with an area designated for larger groups as well. The camp host was very helpful and even led me right to a perfect site. On the other side of the park is a lodge and cabin area. They have periodical events, such as mystery nights, in the lodge. There is a restaurant for the nights you don't want to cook. There are multiple river crossings and picnic areas spread throughout the entire place. Many people bring fishing rods and try their luck. It's a popular place for family parties (I also saw wedding photos being taken while I was there). Multiple trails with varying degrees of difficulty can be found. My dog and I hiked a difficult section and then continued on around the entire park to total 8 or 9 miles. With plenty of hidden seating areas we had ample time to sit and relax. This is a perfect place to find a quiet place away. It is family oriented so you may find children and a variety of dogs in the campsites. 

I didn't camp here and I'm not sure I'd want to but they do have a great trail system if you want to hike around for a day.

Great trail system close to Chicago

Stayed over memorial day weekend 2017\. Even though it was a busy weekend the campground was fairly quiet. Pit toilets were kept pretty clean but the shower house was muddy. This was probably due to the amount of people there on Memorial Day weekend. The sites are a nice size although if you have something other than a tent getting it into the sites might prove difficult. We camped with the pop-up and were able to get our pop up in a spot but there are no pads. The trailheads were a bit difficult to find but once on the trail they were very well-marked. The best part of the campground is probably the fords you drive through to get to the camp sites, that's always fun. Unfortunately due to heavy rains the Fords were closed and we had to use the emergency road. The loop we stayed in all had drive-up campsites however others were short walk ins. These were located in smaller fields that would be great for small groups or two families camping together. Will definitely go back with my tent on a weekend that is not so busy.

Well maintained Class B sites 

We’ve gone camping here the last two Memorial Day weekends with our three kids currently aged 8, 6, and 3. the hikes are all very doable, there is a playground, ice cream at the lodge and a few wide open spaces for frisbee or playing catch. The hikes were confidence boosters for our kids. Some of them you get to walk through the streams which is always great fun for everyone. highly recommend this state park! 

Great for young kids!

Though the campsites are pretty close together, the park itself is HUGE. so many trails to choose from and tons are areas to dip in the water. all around beautiful spot 


Beautiful park with tons of trails 

Well kept camping sites. Easy drive up style. Picnic tables and fire pits on site. Bathrooms and dumpster close by. River that is walk and drive through! 

Lots of things to do!

This camp site does not have very secluded spots. I would have enjoyed a more quiet plot of land amongst some pine trees. 

We did not get out to see much of the park. Would like to come back and experience the actual beauty of the park not just the family campground. 

Good for family campground

Great park for the newer"primitive camper". Beware the sites that are on an incline. Vault toilets very accessible through out the park It's pretty cool that you have to drive through the crik to get to the campground. Fishing was lackluster, but it was also the second weekend after quarantine. Camp hostest is super nice!

Easy

No electricity on but 2 or 3 sites but we loved our time camping here.  We have been here 2 times and had no problems.   So sites are close but as campers we work out our site to not interfere with others.   Love the hiking and the forges.  We will be back.

Loved our time.

Let's start with the good stuff:

*   The park is beautiful. Lovely trees, lots of shade, the hiking trails are nice, well marked, and they even have an accessible trail for those with disabilities!
*   There is a restaurant and gift shop on site. Gift shop sells wood if you run low or forget.
*   The bathrooms and shower house are relatively clean and well kept.

Now for the not so great stuff:

*   Many of the campsites are sloped and some are sloped A LOT. This isn't obvious from the booking page.
*   The campground is absolutely jammed with camp sites- it's ridiculous. I've never been to a campground where the sites were so on top of one another.
*   We stayed in the Sunny Crest loop and the drinking water well was broken so we had to travel to other parts of the campground for water. When carrying a 10 gallon jug full of water back, that really sucked.
*   The sites that are marked as "hike in" aren't secluded and away from other sites at all, as one might expect. They are jammed in with all the others but there just isn't any parking nearby.
*   It had rained the day before was went and so the road to the campgrounds was blocked off (presumably because the creek was running too high), but there was NO SIGNAGE telling us how to get there another way. There was no one in the park office or in the camping registration station to ask. We finally figured out that we had to take an emergency road/auxiliary road to get to the campground, but that was after about 30 minutes of confusion.  
    
*   The breakfast buffet at the restaurant is mid but very pricey- $50 for 2 of us.  
    
*   The quiet hours and no alcohol policy are not enforced at all. While we were there, there was a very loud group playing beer pong into the wee hours of the morning.
*   About half of the fire rings don't have grill grates so bring your own or bring a camp stove (See pic). Also, when you book your site, there is no way to know if your fire ring will have a grill grate or note.

Lovely natural scenery; campground leaves something to be desired

White Pines is smaller than most of the state parks, so the loops of camping sites don’t have many. I wouldn’t recommend any on the hilly side, but sites 20-26 are fabulous! Those ones are relatively flat and deep, separated by trees (although there is a front and back site so you will have one neighbor on a full day). Much quieter and more peaceful than the more crowded counterparts and perfect for camping with small children because the bathrooms are always close by and it’s actually quiet at night when they need to sleep. 

You drive over the fjords to get in, which the kids love. Also a nice perk that when you are too tired to cook, you can drive or walk over to the lodge and get a good cooked meal. Close to lowden so you can drive over there too during the day. Host was fabulous and when we left early (storms) he checked in to make sure everything was okay. We will be back!